FoodBytes! by Rabobank is a next-gen pitch competition-meets-networking event that brings together the game-changing startups, investors and industry leaders pioneering the future of food and agriculture.

So why is this important? Well for one, the way we are currently eating & doing agriculture is not sustainable, healthy or ethical… This is a giant topic in itself for another blog, but in a nut shell, WE at BeskeptMTL are part of the future of disrupters and influencers who want to see the way the world eats in a WHOLE better light from farming to clean eating. We have a dedicated WELLNESS category as a forefront of our own mini-magazine change and we hope to bring these awesome start-ups onto the stage for visitors & VC backers to take notice…

All the start-ups at FoodBytes were impressive, they curated the companies based on unique business models that are truly innovative.

As a boutique media company and magazine, our focus is on quality vs quantity and we too curate the Best of the best! Today’s curation is the best start ups we met at FoodBytes that you need to know!

(Calgary, AB) — Partake Brewing makes craft non-alcoholic beer that’s “alcohol free and beer lover approved”. This is our number one fave for 2 reasons. For one, the cans are 10 calories (yes you heard right) so we make jokes that we burn more calories drinking it! Secondly it tastes great (The Blue can ALE is our fave). It has a light citrus kick and it’s so refreshing, it’s the perfect party drink for those who are sober living, drinking less or getting into a car after. Why settle for sub-par near beers when there is a world of great low or no alcohol beer available like Partake! Premiumnearbear.com carries it and you can find it at a few locations in Montreal! Just use the store-locator here.

(Woodside, Calif.) — SmartCatch provides Sustainable Seafood Technologies to reduce by-catch waste, combat Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing and promote global sustainable seafood markets. So much good in one company. Besides the obvious that dolphins and other ocean friends will be detected before it’s too late, Smart Catch is solving so many problems at once and too many to describe here to check them out to see how this clever net-cam is changing fishing.

(Montreal, QC) — Nectar offers a data-driven apiary management platform to assist beekeepers in keeping their honey bees healthy and productive to answer the rising need for pollination services, using sensors and AI. We love honey at BKM and any technology to improve pollination is a-ok with us! What is really innovative about Nectar is how Beekeepers can reduce invasive inspections, with Nectar’s minimalist sensor devices. Through their precise technology, one is able to remotely monitor the health of bees without disturbing them, so one’s apiary can thrive and make honey producers proud.